State Parks and National Parks

Rainbow Bridge National Monument

A dozen stories high and as long as a football field, Rainbow Bridge is one of the seven wonders of the world and the largest natural bridge.

The monumental land bridge is considered a sacred place by Native Americans. It rises up at the edge of Lake Powell in southeast Utah, but is administered by the National Park Service based in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Page, Ariz.

The bridge can be reached only by boat, horseback or on foot.

Most people travel by water to Rainbow Bridge, some 50 miles from Wahweap, Bullfrog or Halls Crossing on Lake Powell. From the dock landing in Bridge Canyon, Rainbow Bridge is a 1.5-mile walk along a moderate trail.

Visitors can also reach Rainbow Bridge by a 14-mile hiking trail from Navajo Mountain Trading Post or a 13-mile trail from abandoned Rainbow Lodge.

Permits and information on routes, water sources and supplies may be obtained from the Navajo National Recreation Resource Dept., Box 308, Window Rock, Ariz., 86515.

There is no camping or swimming within the monument area.

Photo credits in order: Courtesy of National Park Service.